Man stabbed after Alive@Five concert in Stamford

STAMFORD -- A 29-year-old Stamford man is recovering after being slashed in the neck and face following an Alive @ Five performance by MC Hammer at Columbus Park Thursday night.

The victim was rushed to Stamford Hospital after suffering a gash to his carotid artery and the left side of his face, said Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin.

The hospital reported Friday that the man's wounds were no longer life-threatening.

Conklin said the assault was reported to police at 9:19 p.m. Although the attack occurred as the man was walking in an alley behind the Bell Street Parking Garage, he was carried behind Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Cafe, where workers brought out towels to help stem significant bleeding from his neck, Conklin said.

Police officers applied pressure to the wound until medics arrived and continued to work on the man before rushing him to the hospital, Conklin said; despite those efforts, the man's artery was hemorrhaging in spurts and he lost an extreme amount of blood.

Police found some PCP in the victim's possession, Conklin said.

While the attack occurred about a block away from the Alive @ Five stage, Conklin said he did not know if the victim or his attacker were attending the concert.

"We are trying to ascertain if it had anything to do with Alive @ Five. It had just broken up at that point and there was a tremendous amount of pedestrian traffic in the area," he said.

Bureau of Criminal Investigations Lt. James Matheny said detectives have developed several leads, and the assault is being investigated by the department's Major Crimes Unit.

Conklin said police were unable to talk to the man Thursday night because he was sent into the operating room almost as soon as he was admitted to the hospital; he said he expects drug charges will be leveled against the stabbing victim.

Anyone with information about the assault is urged to contact Stamford police at 203-977-4417.